My Little Detective
by Rite500
Summary: Near was not blind to all the corruption in the Empire. Now, he was trying to change it from the inside. But to truly succeed, one man had to be put down. If he wanted that, he had to go against the person he saw as the mother he never had. But, was he really able to do that?
1. Young Genius

**I don't own Death Note nor Akame ga Kill.**

* * *

Esdeath, River and Nyau walked through the endless forest searching for Daidara, one of her Three Beasts. A while ago, Nyau and River, the other members of the Three Beasts, came to their meeting point, saying they had lost the bulky man while fighting off some Danger Beasts.

They had a simple mission of exterminating some Danger Beasts and yet, they had lost their member in the process. Esdeath had to punish them for that. But that will have to wait, finding her servant was her top priority right now.

When they finally exited the forest they reached the rocky mountains. Nyau frantically pointed at a cliffside far across the trio. "T-there is the place we have last seen him." To say that the blonde was nervous was an understatement. He was really, really scared.

He'll follow the General with his devoted loyalty. But her punishments weren't something to mess with. It probably wouldn't be so painful, if they find Daidara. But there was always a chance she will take away his collection of faces! And it took so much time to gather so many. If it came to that Nyau couldn't really say anything back, the General's words were absolute.

Esdeath gave a small nod and looked back at her other servants. "I'll look below the cliff. You two look around the mountains."

"Again, we're really sorry ma'am," Liver said.

"Apologizing is not important right now. When we find Daidara, we will discuss your punishment." The other two couldn't help but sweatdrop at those words. But with that, they each began walking their respective ways.

When Esdeath reached the cliff, the remnant of the battle were still visible. A big amount of corpses of snake-like Danger Beasts littered the ground. They already began to rot, but the stench didn't bother the General.

Looking over the edge, Esdeath saw a forest that stretched as far as her eyes could see. Below, a few trees were on the gound. This didn't go unnoticed by the Empire's Strongest. It wasn't a very big fall so if that happened, he could survive.

Ice began to form on her arms and legs. With a quick motion, she jumped over the edge and was now in mid-air. But she didn't fall. Instead, she was descending towards the ground in a rather fast pace. Getting close to the ground, Esdeath dismissed the ice and landed softly.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her surroundings. The blue-haired General could sense a faint, but familiar aura and another unrecognizable one.

She followed the trail of fallen trees. After a little bit, she could already pick up Daidara's smell. And after looking behind the thickest tree she had seen in the forest, she saw the brown-haired man, in a sitting position and leaning against one of the trees for support.

He probably rolled over there, judging from his injuries and the dents on the ground near him. Undoubtly, without the thick trees, she could have seen him from afar.

But what also caught her attention was the white dot by Daidara. On closer look, Esdeath made out it was a boy, a very young one, dressed in only white and even white hair.

Curious, she listened in on their conversation. But, made sure to conceal her aura.

"Thanks kid, I owe you one!" Daidara said, gratitude clear in his voice.

The boy gave I small nod while wrapping some bandages around his arm he got from his small bag. "You're not bleeding heavily. But that fall probably did some serious damage. Can you move your other arm?"

"Let's see," the brown-haired man tried moving his arm up and down but stopped halfway, grimacing.

"Hmmm," the boy murmurred. He gently took Daidara's arm in his hands. He lightly pushed his palm right above Daidara's elbow, making Daidara grit his teeth. "There's a high chance it's broken. I'll do what I can about your arm. But first, you said those snake-like Danger Beasts bit you. Where exactly?"

He pulled his pants up to his knees. And sure enough, just above each of his ankles, were two medium-sized holes.

The boy looked up at the man, "can you move them?"

Daidara tried, but found them unmoving.

"Judging from that, I assume this has a paralyzing effect," he analyzed. "Rather than a poisoning one. We just have to get it out and you should be able o move soon."

"How, kid?"

"Like this." The boy then positioned his head just above one of the bites. He opened his mouth, moved down and started _sucking_ on it.

This of course, caught Daidara completely off guard. "W-what a-are you doing?!" If he could move his legs, the older man would've kicked him from the sudden movement. But fortunately, he was unable to do so.

However, he found it quite weird that this kid would help him like this. He should've ran away when he saw his apearance. And yet he was still here, sucking the poison out of him. Daidara was sure some trained soldiers wouldn't do what he did.

After a little bit, the white-haired boy moved his head away and spit out a weird, green substance. "Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to get the poison out of you."

Daidara shook his head, "I mean why?"

"Because you needed help," he answered, his tone emotionless, as always. "Or were you uncomfortable about the way I did it?"

"It's because it surprises me that you're helping a stranger like this." He looked down at the boy's smaller form and an evil smile formed on his face. "I can tell you're pretty smart for a kid your age. If you trained I'm sure I can get a lot of experience from fighting you."

The boy raised an eyebrow, not showing any emotion. "And where did that come from?"

A chuckle escaped Daidara's lips. "You're not even fazed! You're an interesting kid, you know that?"

He shrugged, "I can tell you have no hostile intentions. So I don't see a reason for me to be scared." After saying that he began working on the second bite.

While doing that, the older man burst into laughter. "Haha! You truly are interesting!"

The boy finally finished and spit out the same green substance. He wiped his sleeve and stood up. "You can't move your legs immediately. So in the meantime I will go look for something that can be used as a casket."

He turned away from the man and started to walk away. "I won't be far. If anything happens, just call out to me."

When he was out of sight, Esdeath decided to let her precense be know.

"Daidara," she said while walking towards said man.

His eyes widened, "L-Lady Esdeath?! When did you come here?!"

"Long enough to hear your conversation with that boy."

He nodded, "the kid really helped me. Do you think we can recruit him? He is pretty smart for a kid his age."

"It is possible." A grin crept up to her face. "But I want to test him first. As of right now, he seems physically weak. However, if he really is intelligent, it wouldn't hurt to have another possible servant or soldier. You should be fine on your own, for now. I will be back shortly."

Getting a nod from him, she followed after the boy. She quickly spotted him trying to carve out a chunk of wood from a tree, using a hunting knife.

Esdeath wondered why a child like him was walking around this massive forest on his own. But he was probably in his own judging from his bag and his torn and tattered clothing.

She couldn't help but grin. He looked so...fragile. It couldn't hurt toying with him for a bit. She could test his mind while playing a fun little game.

"Why are you hiding, General Esdeath?"

Her eyes widened. That completely shocked the Empire's Strongest. There was no way he could know she was here. She made sure to hide her precense. He was facing with his back towards her and Esdeath was silent the whole time. So how?!

Only receiving silence the boy decide to repeat himself again, this time with hesitance in his voice. "Why are you here, General Esdeath?"

The General finally got over her shock and came out from behind the tree. Her face became serious and she asked the million dollar question. "How did you know?"

The boy looked at her from over his shoulder. "From the uniform I knew that man was one of the members of the Three Beasts, the servants of the feared General Esdeath. It wouldn't be a while before you or someone else came searching for him. While I was busy a few minutes ago, I noticed the sudden decrease of the temperature. It's a sunny day, it wasn't even cold in the slighest. Either, the cause had to be a Danger Beast or a human. And from what I know, Danger Beats like that only really exist in the Northern parts of the Empire. Which, leads to one of my previous points. Someone would be looking for him. Since the Three Beasts are one of the strongest in your army, I wouldn't be surprised if the Ice Queen herself would look for him. It was a simple guess. But I was right, after all."

Esdeath couldn't help but chuckle. This boy was really amusing her. "Fufu, you are very observant." Now, she was really interested in this boy. To catch her off guard was something that rarely happened. It couldn't hurt to have him serve under her. He may come in handy with dealing with the Revolutionary Army.

And plus, if he was really in own, what other choice would he have. A Danger Beast could eat him right away. So after all, she would get what she wanted.

"Most of the Imperial Soldiers wouldn't think that deep. Tell me, how old are you?"

The boy returned his attention to the tree. "13. Why do you want to know?"

"I want you to serve under me," the General replied bluntly.

This raised a few questions and the young boy raised an eyebrow. "Why? I'm not the strongest one around. And I've heard that you don't like the weak."

The blue-haired woman walked towards him. "Yes, while that may be true, you seem very intelligent and are observant. You can try to become stonger physically." Once she reached him, she put a hand on his shoulder. "However, intelligence is not something you can easily obtain. From what I've seen, it would take some soldiers years of experience. And you're at such a young age."

"I've got nothing else to lose. But what sort of work would you want me to do?"

Esdeath put her hand under her chin and thought for a bit. "Investigations at crime scenes sound like a good idea. Since you're so observant."

Receiving a nod from him Esdeath continued. "We should head back to the Capital and get Daidara's arm treated."

"Right now? I was trying to make a casket to hold his arm in place."

The General started walking away. "That isn't necessary." She looked over his shoulder at him. "But after all this time you haven't told me your name."

The boy started catching up to her. "It's Nate, Nate River. But I would prefer it if you call me Near."

Esdeath raised an eyebrow but decided not to question it. "Fine then, Near. I hope you won't disappoint me. Getting recruited by a General personally is a big honour, after all."

"Don't worry. I'll solve everything that's thrown at me."

The General smiled in amusement. This boy had potential in him. Potential that she witnessed firsthand. Maybe not physically, but mentally. He could become one of the best pawns of the Empire.

"I look forward to that."

* * *

 **What's up, everyone? Hope the the beginning wasn't too bad, this is my first story. I didnt see a Death Note a** **nd Akame Ga Kill crossover, so I thought why not?** **Speaking of crossovers, I will make another one with DN and AGK. I already began t** **yping it. So stay tuned for that! Anyways, feedback and criticism are always appreciated!**


	2. Arguments

**Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill nor Death Note.**

* * *

River and Nyau expected their leader to return with Daidara. I mean, who wouldn't? However, finding a white-haired boy with her and Daidara was something they would _never_ think of.  
He looked weak. And they both knew she didn't like the weak.

"Lady Esdeath, who is the young boy with you?" Liver asked.

She looked over at Near. "Oh, he? This is Near. He will be joining us from now on."

Nyau almost fell over from shock. "Hold on...WHAT?!"

"General, are you sure about this? He doesn't look like he can fight." He didn't doubt the General's choices, but a child? She must have an explanation for this. His leader was not stupid.

"Yes, he's not one for fighting. But, he uses his head, better than some of the older Imperial Soldiers. He is still young and full of potential. Just imagine how of an asset he will be to the Empire after a few years. I will give him his first assignment when we return to the Capital. And if he really succeeds, I'm certain of my answer."

"O-oh, I s-see," Liver mumbled. "But more importantly, what happened to you, Daidara?"

The brown-haired man had an arm on Esdeath's shoulders, using her for support. His legs looked weak, bandages were wrapped on his arm with blood staining them, but not too much, and there were scratches marking his body. One of his arms was on his stomach, encased in a thin layer of ice. It pretty much looked like a casket.

"Oh, I fell off the cliff. It wasn't a big fall." Daidara grinned. "Besides, my little buddy really helped my, so I should be fine!"

They both looked at Near with questioning looks, knowing there was no way in hell he would call Esdeath 'his little buddy.'

He shrugged, "the General would've found you, anyway. There were no Danger Beasts around and with the scratches on your body, you wouldn't lose too much blood. It was timing really. And as for the nickname, I don't know where that came from either."

The blonde of the group raised an eyebrow. "You really don't want to sugarcoat in front of Lady Edseath."

He once again, shrugged. "I don't see a reason to. She would be certain of her answer if I manage to succeed the assignment. It would simply be a waste of breath and time. I would rather show it with my actions than words. Words are simple words. You can lie about anything."

A small smile crossed Liver's features. ' _He seems more mature than_ _Daidara_ _and Nyau combined together!'_ He thought with hope. ' _Maybe he can stop their fighting!'_

Esdeath, who was enjoying the show, decided it was time to leave. "Let's get a move on. The horses shouldn't be far from here. If we move now, we'll probably reach the Capital at noon and I still need to report to the Emperor."

They were walking to the horses with the oldest three ahead and the youngest two behind.

"Lady Esdeath, I can carry Daidara." He offered to his leader out of respect.

Esdeath agreed. While she had no problem supporting Daidara because of her Teigu's enhanced strength, she was curious at the conversation the two males were having. And knowing Liver, he would do anything to help the Empire's Strongest. Even if she didn't need it. So, while Daidara and Liver were chatting about Liver's 'great' cooking skills, she concentrated her attention on the younger ones' conversation.

"Look, don't act all high and mighty just because our General took an interest in you." The blonde one spoke up.

"I wonder where that came from? Are you jealous?"

"What?! Why would I be jealous because of you?!"

"The General took an interest in me, you said so yourself."

"Tch, just because you know some big words at a young age doesn't mean I can't beat you!"

"Beat me?" Near chuckled.

"What?" Nyau raised an eyebrow. "Or do you want to say that you're stronger than me?"

"No that's not it," he looked  
Nyau straight in the eyes. "You can't come up with a solid argument, that's why you want to resort to violence. You're predictable."

"Wha-"

"It's what humans do," he interrupted him. "Simply said, when you can't come up with a good argument, you want to use voilence. It usually happens when you're against someone weaker than you or if you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of a crowd. I've witnessed that a _lot of times."_

"I-I...uhhhh..."

"How old are you?"

"Huh?"

"How old are you?" He repeated himself.

"What? Are you going to make fun of my height?"

"No, that would be a stupid point. Now, answer honestly."

"You first."

"Fine, I'm 13. How about you?"

"I'm 13, too."

"You're lying, aren't you?"

"What?! How did you know?!"

"You just told me."

"..."

"I'M SO STUPID!" Nyau yelled at the top of his lungs to the sky.

"That happens when you get too much into the flow of the conversation. And you said that I was going to make fun of your height. Since I am slightly taller, you had to be older than me."

"You put too much thought into things..."

"Maybe, but because of that, who do you think won the 'argument?'"

"Uhhh," Nyau was at a loss of words. He basically got destroyed. But he wouldn't admit that. His pride was on the line, after all.

"W-well... Just...shut up, shorty!"

"You do realize I'm taller than you. But of course, you wouldn't admit it because your pride got in the way. If you can't admit it or have nothing logical to say, I think it's better you stay silent. You're only making a fool out of yourself."

"Why do you have to be such a smartass?!"

"Daidara," Near started, completely ignoring his previous remark. The pupilless man looked over his shoulder at him. "How old is Nyau?"

Sometimes he and his older companion got into fights. And this was the perfect opportunity for Daidara to get revenge. Fear was present on the blonde's face. Daidara couldn't help but grin at Nyau's expression. ' _No...he wouldn't!'_

"Early 20s."

"DAMN YOU!"

"It's honestly really sad."

He returned his attention to Near. "What is?"

"There's an age gap of atleast 8 years and yet, I'm acting more mature than you. How does it feel? Being taught a lesson by...basically a teen?"

"W-well...uhhhh." Nyau sighed and finally gave up. "Atleast no one heard this," he mumbled.

"Actually, they did. You were too loud."

Just then, Daidara's roaring laughter could be heard. "HAHAHAHA! HOW DOES IT- HAHAHA! FE-FEEL?! AHAHAHA! YOU JUST GOT OWNED! HAHAHAHA! IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF YOU GOT EXPERIENCE FOR THAT, NEAR! HAHAHA!"

Poor Liver beside him wanted to cover his ears. But unfortunately, he had to support the laughing mess. "Just when I thought it would get better..." Liver sighed. ' _For Esdeath's sake, please have mercy on me!'_

The horses finally game in Nyau's line of sight. He glared at Near and noticed the smirk on his face before running towards the horses. "God! I HATE you two! And wipe that damn smirk off your face!"

"Lady Esdeath," she turned her gaze to Liver. "I think it would be better if Near became a politician, right now. Not even the oldest or wisest people would dare go against him."

Esdeath chuckled, "maybe. But it certainly got more amusing." She enjoyed the time with her Three Beasts. But it got so much more livelier with Near. Which, was rather surprising with his calm demeanor.

This time Daidara spoke up, finally recovered from his laughing fit. "It wouldn't surprise me if he would have a debate against Great General Budo and win!"

Just then, Near popped up behind them. "I don't think the Great General would like it if that happened. He wants to keep his high status."

"But think about it," Daidara grinned. "Wouldn't it be hilarious! A mere child getting the Great General at a loss for words!"

"I hope you don't get any ideas. Still, I technically am a child. But I don't exactly have the mentality of one, like Nyau does."

"KEEP ME OUT OF THE CONVERSATION!"

Just then, Daidara grabbed Near by his arm and started dragging him towards the horses. "Come on, Near. You will ride with me."

"You could walk on your own?!" River called out to him. He already knew the answer, but dragging the giant for nothing was something he wanted to deny.

"Oh yeah! When you started helping me, I could pretty much walk on my own. But, I know how helpful you want to be. So I thought, why not? You should be thanking me! You've probably got some experience for that!"

Liver rubbed his temples, "I'm already getting a migraine."

"Maybe your cooking will silence them," Esdeath suggested.

"Was it that bad, General?"

"Do you remember what happened to me last time?"

"..."

"I thought so."

"Can you ride with one hand, Daidara?" Near asked.

Daidara grinned at him, "I can try. I'm sure we can make it out alive.

Near sighed and climbed up the horse. "That's not really _reassuring_."

Daidara somehow hopped onto the horse with one hand, probably because of his height. Near hoped the horse could carry both of them to the Capital, and not collapse from exhaustion halfway through.

Lastly, River and Esdeath got onto their horses and they started their journey to the Capital.

On the way, Near wrapped his arms around the horse's neck. It was his first time on a horse and Daidara using one hand didn't really help him in the situation.

"Ah, how cute. Mr. Smartass is holding for dear life." Nyau's horse was galloping beside them while Esdeath and River were ahead of them. From what Near heard, they were discussing some kind of punishment.

If he spoke, it would only escalate further, resulting in another argument. So, he decided to ignore him and start a conversation with his current travel mate.

"Hey Daidara. How did you began working for the Empire?" This offended Nyau. But he decided to let it slide, for now.

"Oh that," he couldn't help but grin at the memory. "I was travelling around the Empire, practicing Martial Arts and fighting strong opponents. One day I encountered Lady Esdeath. She beat me with hand-to-hand combat. I was impressed by her power and thus, became her servant. And well, this is where I am now."

"I see," Near muttered. "What do you think of the current Empire?"

"The current Empire? Beats me, I'm only following orders and interested in becoming stronger. I've actually never thought about that. Why do you ask?"

"I was curious as to what was happening in the Empire. I've heard of a Revolution in the Empire. So, I was curious at what your thoughts were on the subject. After all, you're someone who's working for the Empire."

Daidara slapped him on the back, "but you will soon see for yourself! I know you will com- huh? Near? Everything all right?" Daidara asked, noticing Near's pained look. His arms around the horse tightened, he gritted his teeth and his eyes were shut tightly.

"Near?" While he didn't know him for a while, he was getting genuinely worried for him. Who else could diss Nyau if he wasn't around? Or could make him laugh his ass off?

Near's eyes widened, noticing he messed up. His emotionless look quickly returned, "oh, nothing."

"Come on you can tell me. You're my little buddy, after all."

"Really Daidara, it was nothing. Just forget it happened."

Before he could reply Liver's voice stopped him. "We arrived at the Capital!"

And sure enough, when Near looked ahead, he saw the massive gate leading into the Capital. "So...this is the Captital?" Near mumbled.

Daidara grinned, "this is nothing. Wait 'till you see the palace. It's freaking huge."

The guards at the gate stepped aside when they caught sight of the Empire's Strongest. While they were passing through it, Near noticed that the guards were bowing nervously. That was a strange sight to see. A soldier wouldn't be so nervous when they were simply _bowing_ to a General.

Near knew Esdeath was the Stronget warrior in the Empire. It was obvious some people would be scared of her. However, that job also comes with respect. Something those two clearly hadn't. It was strange to see that the Empire's own guards were _so_ terrified of her. She must have _quite_ the reputation.

Near wasn't from the Capital. So, he didn't really know what she did over the years.

When they entered the Capital, the people around them immediately made room for them to pass. They became the center of attention, Esdeath the most actually. The white-haired boy saw mixed reactions. Some were scared, glared at her and a few of them coninued with their business.

However, there was one thing that bugged Near the most. Yes, people were also cheering for her. But most of them were the more wealthy ones, judging by their clothing, guards and jewelry. _All_ of the wealthy ones he saw were cheering for her. Not a single one was doing something else.

Near looked at Esdeath. She was sitting straight on her horse, looking ahead of her the entire time. All of the eyes on her didn't really bother the Empire's Strongest.

He couldn't see it, but she had a small smirk the entire time. Mostly because of all the killing intent directed towards her. Revolutionaries, she had no doubt about it. It wasn't something to be scared of. They were small amounts of killing intent from multiple people. She could easily wipe all of them out with one simple swipe of her hand.

"What's that white-haired kid doing there?"

"I already feel sorry for him."

"White hair? He somehow seems familiar."

"He looks weak."

"Why would he be with the General and her Three Beasts?"

"Maybe he is a criminal?!"

Near heard all of it. They were either trying whisper, but failed horribly, or were not even bothering to. Esdeath and the Three Beasts didn't seem to mind it. And if they did, they couldn't go around killing people for something like that.

While observing the people around him, Near failed to notice the palace getting closer.

"Hey Near," Daidara nudged him and when he gained his attention he pointed at the palace. "Have you seen anything like that before?"

Near stared at it with awe. It made him wonder how long it took to build it. However, he noticed that it had a really  
luxirous build. That wouldn't be strange. But compared to the buildings he had seen so far, maybe this was a little _too_ much.

When they arrived at the gate, two guards came and took the horses away.

"It's good to see you back safely, General." The two guards stationed at the palace's gate said and bowed. They looked a bit cocky to Near. In return, she gave a small nod and walked into the massive place, with the other four following behind.

"Daidara, Nyau, Liver you three are dismissed. Near, you will come with me to report. The Prime Minister might be interested in this."

Near raised an eyebrow. Prime Minister? Wasn't she going to report to the Emperor? Then again, the Prime Minister gave advice to the Emperor, so he decided not to question it.

"Yes ma'am." With that, all three of them left.

The white-haired boy followed Esdeath through the endless halls. For most people it might take some time, but he easily memorized the layout. That might come in handy later.

' _I hope you won't cause any trouble with the Prime Minister, Near.'_ Esdeath thought while glancing over her shoulder at him, seeing his analyzing eyes observe the halls around him. ' _You may be young, but you are extremely intelligent. I can see it in your eyes, you're not one to be easily fooled. You have a lot of potential in you. However, it will simply be wasted if you get in his way.'_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Didn't expect to post another chaper today. I got encouraged to write more thanks to Insanity Ignited's review (I really appreciate it). Now I know someone actually likes my story. Anyways, feedback and criticism are always appreciated!**


	3. The Prime Minister

"Did I do well today, Minister?"

"Yes, you certainly did, Your Majesty."

Those were the voices Near barely heard when they stopped before the door he guessed lead to the throne room.

The thing that concerned him the most was that one of them was high-pitched. Basically, the one that was called, 'Your Majesty.' The other voice was probably the Prime Minister. That kinda worried Near.

"Near," Esdeath began. "I hope you won't cause any problems with the Prime Minister. He's my superior and if you get in trouble with him, it would be hard for me to talk your way out of it."

"What makes you think I would do that?"

"Form what I've seen, you're not scared to say your mind. He doesn't like it when people talk back to him."

'I see, if you say that then maybe he isn't the best Prime Minister in the world. But, I could be wrong. Like Nyau said, I could be a smartass sometimes. I guess the only way to find out is to see myself.' He nodded and Esdeath knocked on the door.

"You may enter," came the older man's voice. With that, they did just as they were told. Near saw two people. One green-haired boy sitting on a throne, with clothes that probably only a king would wear. But in a much smaller size. And a fat man standing beside him. Stuffing his face with meat and chewing loudly. Now, someone had quite the manners.

"Ah, General Esdeath! It's good to see you made it back safely!" A grin grew on his face when he saw the blue-haired woman. But that grin...it wasn't one of happiness, or something similar. It was one that contained malice. Like his eyes were on his destructive weapon. This of course, didn't go unnoticed by the white-haired boy.

When his eyes landed on Near, a look of curiosity replaced his previous one. "Why is a child with you?"

Esdeath gazed back at Near, "this is Near. I found him while we were on our mission. It may seem ridiculous to you, but I wish to make him my subordinate. If he succeeds with his first task." When seeing his confusion she continued. "He is physically weak. But his intelligence isn't like any other I've seen so far. He's very observant and young, just think how much of an asset he will be to the Empire when he gets older. His observational skills are perfect to investigate the recent murders of officials and politicians."

"How old is he?"

"I'm 13," Near answered in Esdeath's place.

"Wow! I'm 13, too!" The Emperor replied cheerfully.

When Near looked at him, one thought came in his mind: he's oblivious. A child would normally be too naive on that age. And from his composure, Near knew he was no exception. He's a child placed on a throne meant for kings. There was such a high chance someone would take advantage of that.

Why else would someone place a child on the throne? I mean, someone could take temporary control untill the child is educated properly. Now, someone could easily manipulate him. Someone who would want absolute control. All the while secretly controlling the Nation behind the shadows. Most humans would do things that are only beneficial to themselves. So that way, the Emperor could be his puppet.

And judging from the abnormally big chicken drumstick in the Minister's hand, it was probably him. A professional Prime Minister who wants to keep his reputation high wouldn't eat on the job. That is, if he had a good reputation. His overweight body could support his theory.

But Near couldn't help but feel bad for the Emperor. Already being put such a burden on the age of 13 and not knowing what to do. It was obvious he would rely on others for advice. But trusting one person could be a problem. They could act happy and nice while giving false information. If the person's true intentions were revealed to the Emperor, he will undoubtedly deny it.

"Your Majesty, please regain your composure. You have a Nation to rule, after all." That same evil smile returned. Prefect timing to smile like that. Now Near was even more certain about his theory on this man.

But did he think Near didn't notice that smile or did he think the boy was just stupid? Esdeath clearly said he was intelligent and observant. Maybe this man didn't really care about the (small) details. Something the white-haired boy paid extra attention to.

But actually, who could blame him? He probably didn't expect someone to put so much thought in simple things. And if he really did manipulate the Emperor, he would probably think all other children on his age were stupid and everything would go his way in the end. Which, Near could understand. But unfortunately for him, he was someone who wasn't easily fooled.

"A-ah, I'm sorry!" He cleared his throat and became serious. "It is nice to meet you. I am Emperor Makoto and this is Prime Minister Honest. If General Esdeath chose you personally, I'm sure you'll be a great help to the Empire."

Honest smiled at Makoto, "yes, well done, Your Majesty." He turned his attention to Near and slowly stroked his beard. "I agree with Your Majesty that if you were chosen by Edseath, you will help the Empire immensely." This time he smiled at the white-haired boy. Near could already tell it wasn't genuine. This cheerfulness,

in Near's opinion, didn't fit the man in the slighest. But he had to give credit to his acting skills. Adults would be fooled by that.

"You could learn a thing or two from Your Majesty. After all, he is ruling a Nation at such a young age."

'I wonder how that happened,' Near thought dryly.

"Your skills will prove useful when dealing with the murderers that have been killing the innocent people of the Empire," Honest added.

Makoto look at his hand. "That's right...these people and the revolutionaries...have been disturbing the peace in the capital." He narrowed his eyes. "They don't deserves to live!"

Esdeath looked at Near, wanting to see his reaction. Through the whole conversation there was no emotion present on his face whatsoever. It annoyed her that she couldn't read him. But it also impressed the Empire's Strongest.

Esdeath too, noticed the small signs he was giving away of his true nature. Since the white-haired was so observant, he definitely noticed it. She should warn Honest for that. But if she hadn't met Near she wouldn't know he could come up with such logical conclusions with small details. The blue-haired woman couldn't really blame the Prime Minister. And knowing Near, the gears were probably turning in his head, already.

But that would also be a problem. She didn't know what the white-haired boy would do when he discovered all of the corruption in the Empire. The blue-haired General would rather keep him on their side. And killing him would be such a waste.

"Was that all?" Honest continued when he received a nod from Esdeath. "Then you're both dismissed. And General, I would like to have word with you tomorrow about the sudden changes."

The blue-haired woman bowed and motioned for Near to do the same. He of course, didn't want to raise any suspicion, and bowed. He wasn't really one to get his emotions in the way, anyway.

They left the room and were now walking through the halls.

"Why did a child become the Emperor, General?" Near asked. He was curious as to what the woman would say.

"There was no one of Royal blood that could take over the throne."

"Someone could take over temporarily. Such as a General or something. This way the Emperor is easy prey for someone who could manipulate him for his own benefits. He can get more knowledgeable over the years. I can tell he isn't educated properly to become the Emperor."

'Oh Near, only if you truly knew,' Esdeath thought. 'I wonder what you would do when you find out the Prime Minister is doing what you just said. You're as good as I thought. Maybe a little bit too good.'

"Near," she started. "That matter doesn't concern you, you should be worried about your own duties."

"I can't be worried over something I don't have."

Near expected her to become mad for talking back to her like that. Instead, her lips twitched into a smile. "You're surprising me, as always. I can't say that I don't like it. But," she walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "From now on, I'm your superior."

His emotionless grey eyes stared deep into her own dark blue ones. It was almost like he was staring into her soul. Undoubtedly, he was analyzing her movements. That could come in handy when interrogating Revolutionairy spies.

"And I only expect obedience from my subordinates. I don't want you to cause any trouble in the palace and the people in it."

Suddenly, a smirk appeared on his face. "Technically, I'm still not your subordinate. You said so yourself, you would be sure when I cleared my first assignment." Two times talking back to her was probably a bad idea. But Near wanted to see her reaction. It would help in analyzing her personality and he could see to what lengths he could go with her patience. After all, not every person in the palace is what they seem. Such as his hunch over the Prime Minister. And the feeling of victory was so satisfying sometimes.

She queezed his shoulder lightly. It wasn't even hard, so the Empire's Stongest was surprised to see Near's pained look. "Are you playing with my patience, Near? Do not test me."

The white-haired boy looked up at her. "When a human doesn't know what to say back," he grimaced. "They'll use force."

Esdeath had enough of her getting played, so she decided to get straight to the point. "I know you're not a fool and wouldn't do risky things without a reason. What exactly do you want to accomplish with this conversation?"

Near clutched his shoulder, still feeling it ache. "I just wanted to see how you would act to someone who is rude to you. I don't know much about you and I was curious. You never know what a General would do. There are so many varieties of them."

Esdeath had a feeling he was lying through his teeth. After all the time interrogating people, she pretty much developed a sixth sense for things like that. But she didregarded it, knowing that Near would still play this game of minds if she continued. It wouldn't surprise her if that ended with a migraine for her.

"If that is all, then let's get you settled in for the night."

"Actually I have one more question," Near began. "Prime Minister Honest is manipulating the Emperor, isn't he?"

...

...

...

"I don't think so, Near," she answered emotionlessly. Luckily, she remembered the time when he used the same trick on Nyau. The Empire's Strongest had a feeling it was the same this time. If she was off guard, she probably would've shown a physical reaction.

"But Near, why would you think he would do that?"

"It's simple, really. Compare it to basic human nature. A child Emperor on the throne, naive and still oblivious to the world around him. Don't you think someone would take advantage of that? Such an opportunity seems too good to be true.

When we have something, we want more. Humans are greedy, they only want to do thing that only benefit themselves. It wouldn't surprise me if someone would go as far as secretly control a Nation to fulfill their own selfish desires.

Don't get me wrong, not all humans are like that. There are humans who genuinely want to help others. Unfortunately, they are sometimes hard to find in such high positions. They let their greed take over them. Once they've got the taste of power, they want absolute control.

It just seem far-fetched to me that Prime Minister Honest, the Emperor's personal advisor, wouldn't control the Empire and hide it from the public eye. From his demeanour back in the throne room, I can tell that he is quite happy and benefiting from his position."

"Near," she walked over to him and ruffled his hair in an affectionate way. "Honestly, I've experienced your intelligence personally. But I'm always impressed by your analyses. And for some reason your neutral nature only makes you more interesting. But I'm curious, what would you do if the Prime Minister was really manipulating the Emperor?"

"I don't think I could do anything. Just compare our position to each other's. I was an unknowm child that only gained relevancy because of you. And he is so close to the Empire's ruler. I'm not strong physically, so almost anyone in the palace could easily kill me right on the spot. And I'm not really keen on dying, right now. I think it is best for me listen to your orders."

'If I die, I can't do anything if this Empire is in such dire times. I need to grasp the situation this Nation is truly in,' he mentally added.

Near suddenly yawned and rubbed his eyes. Through the whole conversation he didn't notice how tired he actually was. He may have the mentality of a genius, but he was still a young boy, growing up. And sleep was pretty important at that time.

"You must be tired, you need to rest well since your first assignment is tomorrow. And I want you in top condition." The General told the smaller boy.

She motioned for one of the maids and told her to lead her to one of the empty bedrooms.

"General, this might be sudden, but can you carry me?"

Esdeath looked down at his smaller form. She wouldn't have a problem carrying him. He looked pretty thin and her Teigu's enhanced strength would certainly make it easy. She would do it, this time. She shouldn't get too soft on her subordinates. That will only become a weakness in the future.

She agreed this once and picked him up bridal-style. From her angle, Esdeath noticed a purple bruise from under his collar. The colour alone looked pretty nasty for a bruise. She should ask him that tomorrow.

"Don't get used to this, Near. I'll only do this, once."

"I'll do that if you always carry me," he mumbled, half-asleep.

* * *

 **To Guest: Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I will definitely consider doing some. Like the one with Liver's cooking XD and some other ones that I don't want spoil. And also thank you for your postive feedback! It boosted my will to write this story.**

 **Do keep in mind that this story takes place before Esdeath left to the North. I did that to build the relationship between Near and Esdeath (and some other characters.) I also have some things to make this story more interesting. Such as Near's past relationships with other characters (I think I revealed too much...) But anyway, thank you for reading this chapter! Feedback and criticism are Always appreciated!**


	4. First Mission

" _I promise, I'll be back." A white-haired girl patted his head._

 _"Wanna play with us?" A girl with light hair outstretched his hand towards him._

 _"If there is something wrong, you can always tell me." A blonde-haired man smiled gently at him._

 _"You took away everything from me!" A grey-eyed man raised his hand._

Near sat up straight in bed. Sweat rolling down his forehead while breathing heavily. His calm nature was replaced with his panicked expression.

He looked at his surroundings in an attempt to calm himself. A fairly big room with a giant window, huge bed, a small table and 2 sofas around it. The room was unfamiliar. But he remembered what transpired the previous day.

The white-haired boy buried his face into his hands. " _Breath in, breath out. Breath in...breath out."_

Achter a few minutes, what seemed like hours, he finally regained his cool nature and lazily ploffed back down onto the pillow.

Near closed his eyes, " _why can't I just forget?!"_ He gritted his teeth as he so desperately didn't want to remember the events of his life.

"Near," Liver's calm voice came through the door and startled Near. "Lady Esdeath wants to see you in 30 minutes. Please get ready."

Near sat up in bed. He hadn't even noticed the early rays of sunlight. Disregarding his previous thoughts, he picked up the clothes that lied beside the bed and made his way to what he assumed, was the bathroom. And right he was.

He undressed himself and looked into the mirror. How he wished he avoided it. His whole upper body had bruises, some having a blue colour and the majority, purple. There were even scars aligning his body.

Near's eyes widened as a sudden memory came back his mind. To avoid having a panick attack, he ran under the shower and turned the cold water on. It felt like he could almost faint from the sudden contact with the cold liquid and his bare skin. But that didn't really matter to the white-haired boy. As long as it distracted his mind, he was fine with it.

After a 10 minutes of getting cleaned up, he came out of the bathroom, fully clothed. He wore a white button-up shirt with blue pants. He exited the room and found River patiently waiting for him.

"Your first assignment is today, are you excited?"

Near shrugged, "not really." That was true. He had a feeling he would succeed.

Liver chuckled, "always calm. Now, let's get moving. Better early than late."

Near nodded and started following River through the enormous palace. Making sure to mentally note the way around here.

On their way, Near spotted a purple-haired man, with quite some muscle. His arm was snaked around a beautiful female's waist. He had such a lustful look in his eyes while staring at her chest. Near knew humans had carnal desires. But the way he looked, just seemed ridiculous.

No words were exchanged between them. Near could tell the female was uneasy with this man. Near couldn't really blame her. Everyone would be uncomfortable when someone looked at your chest like that, even males. Maybe she was with him against her will?

He also acknowledged Liver's eye twitch in annoyance when passing them. Near could tell the older man was doing his best not to look at them. And if him gritting his teeth was anything to go by, he probably wanted to yell at them.

When they were out of earshot, Near had to ask Liver about the man. "Who was that?"

The grey-haired man sighed, "that was the Prime Minister's son, Syura." He nearly bit his tongue for mentioning the name.

"You don't like him, do you?"

"I don't think anybody would."

"I see," Near put his hand under his chin. "I think he's abusing the privilege of being the Prime Minister's son for his own selfish desires. He could get away with almost anything."

 _'Even more if his dad has the Emperor under his thumb,'_ he mentally added.

Liver's eyes narrowed, "how I wish I could ram my sword through his arrogant-looking face."

"I assume you can't because he's the Prime Minister's son."

"That's not the only reason."

Near raised an eyebrow, "what is the other one?"

He caught sight of Liver's hands tightening behind his back. He didn't see it, but his eyes widened.

"O-oh we're here!" The grey-haired man spoke.

Behind him, Near studied his every move. ' _That's a way to change the subject.'_ He decided to drop it, persuading the older man to tell him wouldn't work.

Liver knocked in the door, "Lady Esdeath we're here."

After a "come in," he opened the door and they both entered the blue-haired woman's office.

There she sat, behind her desk with a stack of papers. Liver bowed to her while Near simply stood there.

"Today is your first assignment, Near." She handed one of the papers to the white-haired boy, "I hope you'll succeed. Liver will accompany you, since Daidara still has his arm to heal. And Nyau," she put a hand under her chin. Like she was thinking deeply about her answer. "Well, you know how he is."

"How could I forget?"

She chuckled and after that, became serious. "But I must warn you. With the line of work you do, you will see quite some... _bloody_ things." From the inside, she couldn't help but get excited at the mere thought of carnage. It had been 2 days since she tortured a poor soul. She was just itching for a kill. "You may be smart, but you are still a child. Are you ready for that?"

Near shrugged, "I can never be sure until I see it for myself." The white-haired boy had excellent self-control. But honestly, the only way to truly find out, is to see it himself.

"I see, as honest as always." Esdeath sighed, "both of you are dismissed. I've got a lot of paperwork to do. The details are on the paper I gave you. I'm curious to see the results."

Once again, Liver bowed with Near simply standing beside him. Once he was done, they left the room.

"Liver," Near called out while he was skimming through the paper. "Do you know where the Imperial Police Station is?"

"I do, is that where we are headed?"

Near nodded and Liver started heading towards said place with Near following beside him.

"Apparently a woman was brutally raped and murdered, they suspect her brother for doing it. Liver, where did the General get this paper from?"

The grey-haired man looked at the smaller boy. "I actually got it. Yesterday, Lady Esdeath sent me to the police office and I asked them if they had any recent murder cases. Their captain, Ogre, gave me a few specific documents."

"Specific?" Near asked.

"A few he personally chose. And I guess Lady Esdeath picked this one for you."

Near twirled a strand of his hair, "did you tell him I was going to investigate one of them."

Liver nodded, "Ogre still wanted an explanation, even though he knew I was a member of General Esdeath's Army."

"I see." Near returned his attention to the papers. "But it's strange."

When Liver raised an eyebrow, he continued. "The information on the paper is so vague. I'm pretty sure this is a report, and reports at least need _some_ details. It's so plain and simple, it makes me suspicious."

"Of who?"

"Ogre, since he gave you this."

Before he could say something Near continued. "But Liver, there is something I like to ask you." His grey orbs directly stared into his blue ones. "But you have to answer honestly."

"Of course," Liver answered. He didn't really see a problem with it. But he should voice his words carefully around the young boy. One little thing and Near was already on you.

"What do you think of the Prime Minister?"

The grey-haired man was taken aback. Why would he ask such question all of a sudden? "Where did that come from?"

Near shrugged, "I'm curious to hear your opinion. Is that so weird?"

"No, why specifically the Prime Minister?"

Near was silent for a bit. He didn't have a good explanation for that answer. One that wouldn't make Liver suspicious of him. Even though they had no ill will towards each other, he still had to be careful. You never know who you can trust, he learned that the hard way.

"He seems like a weird man to me. Eating on the job doens't seem like something professionals would do." The white-haired boy half-lied.

Liver seemed satisfied with his answer, much to his relief. "Fine, I'll give you my personal opinion." He took a deep breath, bracing himself to tell Near his true feelings. "I don't like that man, one bit. Just the same as his useless son. In the past we had some _disagreements._ But that was in the past and now I work for Lady Esdeath. Since he is her superior, I have to deal with it. If I want it or not."

"I see," he muttered. "What are those disagreements exactly?"

Liver closed his eyes, "I would rather not think back to it."

Near sighed, a little bit disappointed. He was curious to hear Liver's past. But understood him conpletely. "I can understand that."

"What do you think of him?"

"It doens't really matter what I think. Compared to him I'm powerless. Only a fool would go against him." He mentally smirked. Using the power card as a way to avoid questions was absolutely genius! Heck, it even worked on Esdeath.

After they left the palace, it became quiet. Until they reached the bustling streets of the Capital. Liver noticed Near staring at one of the many stalls. Specifically, a toy robot.

Liver smiled at him. He may have the mind of an adult, but he was still a child. Seeing him act like a normal child, was a change he probably wouldn't get used to.

"I can buy it for you if you want it."

Near looked up at him, "I do. But if you don't mind paying for it."

Shaking his head, Liver walked up to the stall and bought the toy. The man at the stall was nervous to see a member of Esdeath's army. But his purchase went smoothly, anyway.

The older man handed the robot to the younger one. Liver could see a slight hint of excitement on his face.

Near moved its arms and legs around. He looked up at him. "Liver," a genuine smile appeared on the white-haired boy's face. "Thank you, I owe you one." With that he picked up his pace again.

Liver stood still, shocked to see Near smile. If he told Nyau and Daidara about this, they probably wouldn't believe him. "Near, it might be weird coming from me. But," he paused. "Your smile is adorable." The ex-General felt really strange saying that. He didn't plan it, the words just left his mouth instantly.

Near stopped in his tracks, shocked at his words. Even though he didn't show it. "What can I say? I _am_ adorable, after all." He mumbled, not even bothering to look back. It felt nice in a way Near wasn't used to.

Liver couldn't tell if that was a joke, but they resumed their journey to the police station. And soon enough, they finally reached their destination.

When spotting Liver, one of the guards outside immediately went to get Ogre. When Ogre approached them, a roar of laughter left his mouth.

"I didn't expect him to really be a kid. Has the General lost her mind?"

A vein popped up on Liver's forehead. From his tone, Liver knew he was joking. Only a fool would insult Esdeath right in front of her servant. But the words still left his mouth! That's what got Liver annoyed the most.

"For the record, Lasy Esdeath is completely fine."

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Near spoke up, surprising both of them. He handed him the report. "You should know that as the captain of the Imperial Police."

Liver smiled at his comment while Ogre grunted. "You came here to investigate a murder. I'm sure you'll," he cleared his throat, " _succeed._ But we already investigated them thoroughly and came out with empty hands. Everything we know stands in the reports I gave you."

"Yes, and I'm sure your competence goes as far as your ability to make well-written reports. Seriously, who made those? I could do much better, and that is coming from a kid."

Ogre narrowed his one good eye at him. A child was seriously setting his pride on the line. Good thing no one could hear this. He wouldn't admit it, but the boy got him good.

"Do you want to investigate this or not?" Ogre skimmed through the paper.

"Actually you're right," Near said honestly. "I shouldn't waste time talking to you. You wouldn't listen to a kid, anyway. You're too prideful," he paused. "Even if they were right."

Ogre's anger starters to rise. Seriously? A kid giving him a big mouth. He would've taught him a lesson, if it wasn't for the old geezer beside him.

"Listen kid, you should be respectful towards your elders," Ogre stated.

"Ahh, I get. Now you're saying you're old." At his response, Liver put his hand to his mouth to hold in his laughter. He managed not to burst out laughing with great difficulty.

Near sighed as Ogre's eyebrow twitched. This was just too easy and boring. "But anyway, can I examine the body now?"

A grin appeared on his face. "Of course. My subordinate will tell everything you need to know. I'll go get her." With that, he left to get her.

"Near, are you really fine to see a dead body?" Liver asked with worry in his voice.

"I don't know," he answered simply, making Liver raise his eyebrow.

Seeing the older man's questioning look, he shrugged. "I don't know. It's like I said with the General, I won't know for sure until I see it."

Liver sighed, "you're really thinking light-heartedly about this. I have seen my fair share of things. But I can't help but be worried."

"Liver," the white-haired boy started. The same genuine smile returned. "Thank you...for caring."

Before Liver could respond, Ogre's subordinate arrived. She saluted, he honey-brown hair bouncing in the process. "Greetings fellow warriors of justice! My name is Seryu from the Imperial police!"

Near couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her words. You really didn't hear that every day. Then again, a child dissing an adult wasn't that common either.

"Umm...hello," Near muttered, not really knowing how to respond to a comment like that.

When her eyes landed on Near, she gasped. "Are you supposed to examine the body? You look like 10."

Near sighed in annoyance. This would probably happen with every single person he meets.

"I'm 13. And yes, I'm the one." Near started walking. "Now lead the way," he added bluntly.

Seryu couldn't help but squeel at his actions. "You trying to boss me around, is just too adorable for words!"

Now this was starting to become frustrating. He was dead serious and Seryu somehow couldn't take him that way, because he was 'adorable.' Well, that was something he didn't expect to hear twice on one day.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Liver, once again, trying to hold in his laughter. Much to his annoyance.

"Don't laugh, old man."

* * *

 **I was actually going to make this chapter longer, but it's been a while since I updated this story and I didn't want anybody to think I stopped with this story. I wasn't sure what to give Near for his fi** **rst mission and we probably all know the art of procrascination. So, Í'm sorry it took so long. And thanks for all the feedback!**


	5. Mystery

Seryu stopped before an iron door, making Near and Liver stop behind her as well. "We keep the bodies of the deceased untill they get sent to their funeral or..." her face became grim. "You get the idea."

Behind her, Near nodded. Although she couldn't see it. He got a pretty clear idea by what she meant.

He didn't know why, but he was actually curious as to what they did with the bodies.

Of course there were people who couldn't pay a funeral. They could bury it themselves, if that that was legal. However, some could be left.

The white-haired boy didn't see much poverty. But he guessed that he didn't see that because he wasn't at the true poor side of the Empire. Such a powerful kingdom was bound to have its own fair share of poverty.

And there are the people who have no one else. Such a thought was scary. Having no one else to carry the memories of your existence. It's sad, but it did happen. But enough with the dark thoughts, he couldn't mess this mission up. Or he would probably be the one forgotten.

There was something that still bugged him. His reaction when he sees the body. He had good control over his emotions, he knew that. But that was something he couldn't predict. Like he said, only way to find out is to see for himself. That's the way to get his true answer.

Near took a deep breath to brace himself, just in case, before he heard the click of the door. Seryu didn't enter, he guessed he was on his own for this.

The white-haired boy slowly entered the room. It was surprisingly empty, besides something on the ground with a white sheet messily draped on it.

The smell immediately hit him. The scent of dried blood. He wondered...how many deceased were in this room? Maybe it would be better not to think about that...

Didn't anyone clean this place? He could understand why someone wouldn't come even near the room when death was basically reeking off it. But still...they could just hire someone who would do it in those circumstances. That wouldn't be cheap though. Maybe they're just greedy or simply don't care about it. Harsh, but it could be possible.

He reached out for it. Obviously, it was the body based off of the bloody spots on the once pure white sheet.

His hand moved the sheet to reveal the victim's head.

Her skin was pale, but not too pale. It complimented her black hair. Her eyes were closed with blood seeping through the eyelids. This picture was strange. He wanted to check it, but stopped himself. He didn't want to do things like that, for now.

As he moved the sheet further, something became clear, the victim didn't wear any clothes. She was completely naked.

A sudden rush of adrenaline hit him as his brain processed what was before him. He already knew why the woman was naked, seeing the body to clarify his thought wasn't needed.

Near had enough of the sudden adrenaline rush. So he quickly pulled the sheet off of the body.

He now had a clear view of the victim. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to take it all in at once. Maybe he should have been more patient with pulling the sheet.

And now he had no doubt, she was raped. Long lines of dry, red liquid came from her womanhood.

One of the strange things was the large purple mark on her neck. There was also one on her inner thigh and breast.

He deduced that that was a hickey. Some referred to it as a 'love bite.' But in this case, love was totally not the right word. Some even used it as a way to mark what is theirs. Or specifically, their significant other.

He learned this from some books about biology and some novels that had quite some erotic paragraphs. Because of them, he learned some information that might prove itself useful in this case. And yes, those books were about sex. Or if you want in to describe in another way, the sexual organs.

No one really cared to stop him from reading such things. And for the record, he didn't read those for the sake of pleasuring himself. He was and still is young, he figured the hormones didn't start kicking in yet.

He was actually curious about it. Although that resulted in him knowing more about the sexual organs than some grown men and women. Near didn't care how embarrassing or sexual what he read was. It only made him more knowledgeable in a situation like this.

Anyway, he just needed to satisfy his curiosity at that time. That goal was quite innocent in itself. So if someone ever asks how he knew, he wouldn't make a big deal about it.

But there was one strange thing with the hickeys. Normally they would just be red marks, lingering on one's body. However, these were purple. Giving these love bites was pleasuring, but it turning purple must mean this person bit really hard.

This person was probably someone that has never done anything like this before, someone inexperienced, maybe someone young. They probably tried experimenting around, but didn't get satisfied with the outcome. That would probably explain why her womanhood looked far worse than anything else. That indicates this person knew the basics of sex.

But the strangest thing had yet to come. On the left side of her chest was a bullet hole. He hesitated, but forced himself to look.

Through the grotesque sight of her flesh, muscle and blood, something shiny caught his eye.

 _A bullet._

The bullet itself wasn't the strange thing. The report he recieved earlier didn't say anything about a bullet. Ogre also said they examined the body thoroughly. They're supposed to have experience, no way they would've missed this.

This was really weird. A possible conclusion about Ogre came to mind, but he needed more evidence than this. That man already caught his suspicions.

But why would someone even use a gun? Its noise was far too loud and would alert somebody. However, they could possibly be at a place where nobody could hear them. Then they wouldn't have to worry about that.

A forest, perhaps? That was a possibilty. Nobody would notice, especially not at night. But still, doing something like this in the middle of a forest, wouldn't be too comfy.

Maybe it was some bandit? They would be lurking around forests, traveling to find some poor village to raid. That idea was quickly debunked though as a bandit wouldn't even have the luxury of a gun.

And that lead to another thought coming to mind, a mansion. He had read some stories about rich men and women. They had everything with their money. And yet, they didn't have a partner in life.

Of course the guards they hired had to keep quiet about it. Otherwise, they would be fired. And everyone had to do what they could to feed themselves and their families.

As he repeated all of that in his mind, the second outcome made the most sense, to him atleast. While not all people were insane and would go to such lengths, some must be present.

Take for example, a country. Every country has its good people and bad people. You could say where there is good, there is bad.

Something still bothered him. Why would this person use a gun to finish her off? If they lacked the strength, it was most likely they had aged quite some bit.

Near shook his head, he was making so many conclusions with such little evidence. First, he had to gather every detail. Then it would be time to research everything he gathered.

This person needed to fill their sexual desires, that was obvious. The biggest outcome was that this person was male, since women lacked a certain body part that men had. But he still kept it in his mind to look out for females. You never know what the truth might be like. For all he knew, somebody could be framed.

And this was it, he was done here. He had gathered everything he could from this place. There was no way he could determine the culprit by only looking at the body, he already expected that.

And Esdeath nor Liver should expect that from him. Not that he thought they had such a simple mindset. He was young and had very little to no experience with this kind of stuff. The white-haired boy only read novels and books about detectives and their various cases. And that was about it.

"How was it?" Liver asked. Near was too occupied in his mind to notice the concern written all over Liver's face.

"I can't determine the culprit with only this. But I've got some information that could end up being useful."

"No, I didn't mean that." He hesitated, "it's about the body you just saw. How are you feeling?"

Near blinked out of surprise. He didn't think about that. Honestly, when he first heard of this case and the supposed rape victim, he felt fear. Even though it was only present when they talked about it.

He didn't even think of what was before him, but what he had to do. He was so caught up in finding clues that the actual horror before him didn't even cross his mind. He couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But at the moment, it definitely worked in his favor.

"I guess I'm fine," he muttered simply.

Liver nodded, "I see. I will take your word for it. What do you want to do now."

Near put his his hand under his chin in thought. "Hmm. Seryu I want to ask this suspect some questions. After that I want you to gather all the recent reports that involve rape."

Seryu saluted as if she was taking orders from a superior officer. "Understood! I will bring you to him and then I will look into it! I will help bring this scum to justice!"

"But hold on," she blinked in confusion. "Why would you need the recent reports?"

"That will all become clear, but not now." He answered. Telling his reasons wouldn't really sit well with Ogre's subordinate.

He wasn't gonna lie. He wanted to keep everything from everyone, so his grand reveal would be more impressive. In some circumstances that decision would be really stupid. He wouldn't be too foolish about it. The white-haired boy just wanted to show everyone what he was capable of. Maybe then they wouldn't look so down on him like Ogre did.

But Seryu's question wasn't that important, anyway. He was suspicious of Ogre at the moment ans the brown-haired girl was his subordinate. Near got the impression she was a bit too naive for his liking. He would eventually run out of time, and convincing her wasn't his top priority right now.

"Liver," Near spoke. "This might take a while and I don't need you for this. Could you wait around here for me?"

He nodded to the boy without any questions. He trusted him and his judgement. The older man primarily came to protect him from anything harmful. But since this suspect was behind bars, he wouldn't have to worry about his safety. And arguing with him would probably be pointless.

As Seryu led Near to his destination, Liver decided to wait in the main hall. He made himself comfortable in a chair. The poor old man was in for a boring ride. He had to wait for hours, if only he knew that...

Back with Near and Seryu

When they reached the cell door where the suspect was imprisoned in, Near noticed how dimly lit it actually was. The torches on the walls didn't provide that much light. This place looked more like a dungeon than a prison.

"I'll go now. I know he's behind bars but you should still be careful," she ran off with a small wave.

The white-haired boy watched as Seryu's body disappeared in the darkness. After that he neared the cell door. The man inside was looking at the ground, Near could make out the black hair identical to the victim. When he looked up, his eyes immediately caught his attention. Bright blue eyes were staring back at him with sadness, as if nothing interested him anymore. He wondered if the victim had the same fascinating feature.

"Who are you?" He asked. He sounded genuinely depressed, but how could he be blamed? He just lost his sister and was accused of doing it.

Somehow he felt it in his gut. The sadness in his tone and eyes, it was real. He was innocent. For some reason he got the impression he was looking straight at his past self.

He shook his head. Even if his gut feeling was right, he still had to gather evidence.

"I'm here to prove your innocence. For that, I need your full cooperation. I will ask you some questions and I want you to tell me every little detail."

Break

Liver couldn't believe it. How long had he been waiting? It felt like days! Maybe he felt that way because he was so bored!

An officer was kind enough to give him a cup of tea. 1 cup of tea quickly escaleted to 5. His stomach growled, luckily no one paid him any attention. It would be embarassing if they heard this.

Much to his relief, he caught sight of Near coming his way. "We're leaving," he said out of nowhere.

"What about the case?"

"I'm still not sure. I have someone in mind, but it just doesn't feel right."

For some reason, Near didn't even sound disappointed. Liver knew the younger boy practically never showed any emotion, but he still expected some sign of displeasure. The former General decided to comfort him, even though he showed nothing close to sadness or anything at all.

"Don't let yourself down because of one failure. This is your first time and I'm sure Lady Esdeath wouldn't mind giving you another chance," he reassured him.

"Do I have to solve it in one day?"

Liver thought that actually through. Esdeath didn't mention anything like that. "I don't think you have to."

"Good, atleast I don't have to worry about that." He muttered under his breath.

The rest of their walk was in silence. Liver assumed he was pondering over the case and didn't want to bug his younger companion by asking questions. He was just worried for him. Was this whole investigating thing even a good idea? For the first time in his life he doubted Esdeath's choice. The horrors he had seen today weren't meant for a child...

* * *

As they were walking through the palace halls, Nyau suddenly came running up to them.

"So, how did it go?" He sounded excited. You'd think he would never pay any mind to the things that involved Near. But maybe he was just curious.

"Not yet," Near's answer was vague. It left Nyau confused and annoyed.

"What do you mean not yet?!" He yelled as Liver left the 2 boys to make dinner. He wasn't too worried they would get into a fight. There were many guards around the palace and he knew Near wouldn't get into a fight he would lose. But honestly, he was starving.

"I'm just not done yet. Why do you care about it, anyway?" Near responded.

Before Nyau could say anything, someone behind them grabbed his white-haired companion and put him in a choke hold.

"Hey Near! How did you do! I bet you already caught the sucker!" Daidara said as he playfully ruffled his hair.

"Oh about that," he started emotionlessly. "Would you mind letting go of me first?"

The bulky man did as he was told and released his much smaller companion.

"I'm not done with it. But I think I only need until tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning?" Nyau muttered. "That must mean you have al the information you need. Can't you figure it out now?" His question went unnoticed because of Daidara showering Near with complements about how he was smart enough to catch any criminal. Atleast he thought that. Near heard him loud and clear, but didn't answer on purpose.

"Hey, are you two even listening to me?!"

Daidara blinked, "oh hey Nyau. Didn't know you were here too?"

His comment somehow made Nyau even more pissed. "Well, hello to you!"

"I almosy forgot!" He grabbed both Near and Nyau. "Liver's cooking, again! We have to get out of here before it's too late!"

"Oh my god! RUN FASTER!" Nyau yelled.

"Is Liver's cooking that bad?" The white-haired boy asked and they simultanously nodded. "I think I can help him with that."

"REALLY!" Again, at the same time. It was almost scary how they spoke in unison when the topic was Liver's cooking.

Daidara quickly put them down, "of course my little buddy knows what to do!"

"Hopefully," he mumbled as he started walking. Luckily they hadn't heard him. If they did, the dou probably would have done it in their pants.

"Hey Near, do you even know where the kitchen is?" Daidara asked.

"No," he answered truthfully as he looked over his shoulder at the bulky man. "Please lead the way."

* * *

"Honestly Near, you don't know how much I appreciate the extra hands." Liver said as they were finishing the last steps of the meal they were preparing. Near suggested making soup as it was something not too complicated. He convinced Liver atleast that that was the reason they were making something so simple.

"Consider it returning my favour. I'm really grateful to you for buying that toy robot. I'll go get Nyau and Daidara, they will be the first ones to taste it."

Liver would probably suggest letting Esdeath taste it first, but he didn't think that would be the best idea. As a result, he quickly ran off to find the two.

As he passed the dining hall, he noticed both of them sitting there with ecstasy. They really expected that Liver's cooking would taste much better when he helped him out. They trusted Near so much, huh? He could get used to this.

"Liver's waiting in the kitchen. We finished-" he couldn't even end his sentence before they sped past him.

When he reached the kitchen once again, Daidara was laying on the ground.

"Daidara!" Nyau screamed out. He grabbed a spoon to taste, but immediately spit it out afterwards.

He pointed accusingly at the white-haired boy.

"The hell, Near?!"

He scratchend the back of his neck, "I never said I could cook."

"I swear one day I'm going to kill you! Look at what you've done! Daidara swallowed it! He can't be saved anymore! And why in the hell would soup even taste sweet?!"

"Hmm," he placed a hand under his chin. "About that, I think I mistook sugar for salt at some point."

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

"No, I'm dead serious."

"WHICH IDIOT WOULD TRUST YOU WITH SOLVING A CASE!"

"Apparently General Esdeath. But I don't see you saying that to her, though."

"..."

Near got him, once again.

"I'm sorry Liver," Near apologized. "But I promise you, one day I will help you to make the best dish ever. I'll put more reasearch into cooking until then."

Liver shook his head, "it's fine. I enjoyed making it and I'll look forward to that day."

Liver smiled kindly at him, "but that pink apron really suits you. You should keep it on."

Near looked down at himself. It was surprising Nyau hadn't made fun of this. It was just pink with the words 'kiss the cook' in black bold letters. "Gee, that explains why I didn't get the white one."

He received a small chuckle from Liver for his comment. He still took the apron off, much to the former General's disappointment.

"Do any of you know where Lady Esdeath is?" Liver asked. "I have to report the things that happened today."

"Oh yeah," Daidara weakly raised his hand. "Lady Esdeath had some business to take care of. She said to report to her when she returned."

"I see," he mumbled. "Then let's get some dinner. It's a bit late, but some restaurants should still be open." As he finished, his stomach growled loudly.

"Wow and I thought I had a big appetite," Daidara commented from under him.

He got a kick in return, which made him silent. Luckily for him it wasn't too hard.

"I think I'll go to bed," Near said. "It was a long day."

"But if I recall correctly, you too, didn't eat anything." Liver stated.

"I'm kind of used to it," the white-haired boy simply left with a wave. Not even allowing anybody to say something about his comment.

Something didn't feel right with Nyau, so he decided to follow after him.

"Hey, your room is the other way. Where are you going?"

Near glanced over his shoulder at him, "why would you care?" He wasn't even going to bother to come up with lies. He didn't even care if Nyau found out about his true destination. Making him silent about the topic was enough.

"What do you mean why would I care?! Do I have to care to get an answer?!"

Near thought about it, "I suppose you don't have to."

"..."

"..."

"Come on! Tell me already!"

Near sighed, "fine. It can't be helped."

He turned around, fully facing the blonde. "I'm going somewhere for the case."

"And? Why aren't you taking Liver with you?"

"It's not some place we could enter freely. And I'm acting on a hunch."

"Just take Liver with you!"

"No," his hair covered his eyes and his tone became more serious. "I don't want to cause Liver or Esdeath any trouble. I don't want to be a nuisance, anymore. I want to show that I can stand on my own two feet. People already look down on me because of my age. I don't want to disappoint the people who gave me a chance. That's all I have to say." With that he turned around and started walking away.

Nyau was at a lot of words. Near was a nuisance? He of all people? If you think about it, that was most likely the reason why he wanted to go on his own. But who was he a nuisance to?

But the other thing that he said bothered him. People looked down on him. From what he had seen, the other members of the Three Beasts treated him as an equal. Esdeath had no problems with him, either. He didn't know if he had met someone like that on his mission. But could he be one of those people?

Nyau swallowed back the lump in his throat. He actually felt guilty and the blonde didn't believe he was going to do this.

"Hey, Liver. I'll pass too! I'm not really hungry right now!"

 **A/N: Sorry that this chapter took so freaking long! I was going through writer's block, but now I'm back on track. Near's first case was the main reason for the lack of updates as I had some difficulty to actually think of one. But now I know what to do. I also got some PMs and reviews regarding my lack of updates and that's completely fine. You can always ask if you have questions.**


	6. Succeed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill nor Death Note.**

* * *

"So this is the oil merchant's mansion... Could you please explain why we're here again?" Nyau asked as they were hiding behind bushes.

The mansion and garden connected with a forest, they could easily sneak in because of that. It was a little late. Fortunately, around this time, there usually would be less security. How lucky Near actually was for these circumstances. Otherwise, it would've been way harder to pull something like this off.

"The wooden building is Gamal's office. We should be able to find evidence there. Like a journal or some documents."

"Seriously, which idiot has their office be a separate building? Don't you think that's strange. How can you even trust this suspect guy?"

The younger boy looked down, "I don't have evidence to back that up. But I could tell he was genuinely sad."

"How could you tell? I don't think you even have emotio-"

Near put his hand to Nyau's mouth in order to silence him. "Ssst, I heard a door."

Across from them a door opened. A man similar to a toad walked out. An awfully pleased look on his face.

Gamal the oil merchant.

When Near saw his face, memories of his conversation with the man/suspect resurfaced.

 _"My sister and I work for him. Well, worked. Our jobs didn't really pay well. So in order to get some extra money, my sister had to go to his office every night. And...and..." tears stung in his eyes. "He did horrible things to her. She always said it was fine, but it wasn't. She smelled like that man every time she got home. And yet, I couldn't do anything!" At this point, tears started streaming down his face._

Somehow, Gamal never got blamed for it. When he was at the station, the victim's brother wasn't the only person he asked questions to. He asked numerous officers.

He eventually found out Ogre brought her body here. There must be some connection between him and the oil merchant.

And this was worth noting, too. The bullet from the wound was from an Imperial Guard's gun. The white-haired boy asked Seryu to look at it. He didn't want to do it himself because he was afraid he would lose his cool. The girl had undoubtedly confirmed it.

Though, he found it strange that Seryu got the bullet out without problems. She seemed like an innocent girl. Then again, looks can be deceiving.

He couldn't confirm the culprit with all the evidence he collected up to this point. That's why they were here. Gamal must have something in his office that will prove their connection.

When he looked through the recent cases that involved rape, one thing became clear. All the other ones didn't have a suspect.

But maybe Ogre gave one with a suspect to make it easier for the white-haired boy? Well, that will NEVER be the case for somebody like Ogre. He already made Near suspicious, even before he met him. And with his ego, he probably saw Near like trash that needs to be thrown away from his life.

Something sticky on his hand interruped him from his thoughts. Just great...Nyau seriously licked at his hand. Hesitantly, he removed his hand.

"No way, Is that Gamal? He looks even uglier than Daidara." Nyau replied like he never licked his companion's hand a second ago.

"Well, you're really nice on this wonderful day, aren't you?" Near sarcastically remarked.

As Nyau was about to make his 'amazing' comeback, Near held up a hand to stop him.

"When he leaves we're going to enter where he came from. There are no guards walking here at the moment. Let's be fast, just in case. When he turns the corner we will make a run for it, understand?"

"I guess, but you can't tell me what to do." He muttered the last part. His companion heard it, but decided not to test Nyau's temper, ignoring it would be the best option.

When the time was right, both of them bolted towards the building. The white-haired boy was panting even though it was a short run. The blonde one, however, didn't look tired in the slightest.

Regaining his breath a bit, Near quietly opened the door and entered.

Strangely, there were only numerous bookcases and a desk. Nothing else filled the room. Gamal probably uses this place occasionally. Howerver there was a window close to the desk. They had to look out for that.

"We have to hurry," Near began as he was looking though the desk, ducking a little to make sure nobody would see him through the window. "The door wasn't locked, so he might be coming back soon." The fact that there were no guards also unnerved him. Gamal was wandering around here. Why wouldn't there be guards on duty, then?

This being a separate building gave Near the impression that they never knew of his scheme. Heck, since there were no guards, maybe he's doing something similar as we speak? In that case, the girl will be an exception. She was just an unfortunate soul who needed money. Gamal's actions gave her the biggest price to pay, her life. If he got away with that, then the white-haired boy didn't want to know what else was happening in the shadows.

Near quickly began searching through the desk's content while Nyau just looked around the room, not helping him in the slightest. Well, he wasn't going to ask the guy for a hand, anyway. For some reason, every little thing sets the guy off.

After a bit of searching he desk something...unnerving. A small box was in the desk. Curious, he opened it.

Nyau was just minding his own business, doing nothing productive, despite the situation they were in. He was too stubborn to help his companion.

After a bit, he heard Near gasp and a small "thud!" was heard throughout the silent building.

Annoyed at the sound he turned around. "Hey? What are you doing? You said..." he trailed off. Seeing his shocked and slightly freaked out expression.

He looked at the white-haired boy and the box. "Wonder what could get you so freaked out," the blonde spoke out loud while walking to the box.

He opened it to discover a pair of blue eyes staring back at him. Correction, a pair of blue eye _balls._ Still though, he couldn't help but notice their beautiful colour.

A grin appeared over his face, an opportunity to mock Near just arrived. "Pfff, only because of this? Is the great genius finally scared?"

Near put a hand over his heart and tried to inhale calmly. The sudden shock of seeing something like that really caught him off guard. He just hoped he wouldn't think back to all the things he had seen today. He got off easily, since he had more important matters to concentrate on.

However, he could always dream about these things. And he wouldn't admit it, but it scared him to some extent. Hopefully, it wouldn't come back to haunt him.

Seeing what Gamal actually had done disgusted him to no end. He may not have the evidence to convince someone like Ogre of his cruel deed, but his gut told him that Gamal had done it.

The guy looked old, and he wasn't exactly the best looker. Near had a hunch he needed to fulfill his carnal desires and that lead to the woman's horrible death.

However, some books had stories with people beautiful on the inside. They were not the best lookers, but their lovers still liked them for who they were.

If you look at it in that way, it actually made Gamal look worse. It only suggested that he wasn't really a kind man on the inside. Not that Near expected him to. I mean the eyeballs were a dead giveaway.

But something was still at the back at his mind. Could this be his first time? He is old and the messy way of handling the hickeys, it all lead to him being inexperienced and not having a lover. Thus, finding ways of satisfying his sexual needs.

Not only that, but this was the only rape case with an actual suspect. Ogre, who had the authority to do it, had to put the blame on someone for Gamal to safely walk out of this mess.

If he was right, it brought some concern to the young boy. I mean, things like these had to be looked through properly. The report didn't even say why the victim's brother was held accountable for doing it.

What more could those with power get away with? It was outrageous and stupid that even the Emperor is a child. It just asked for him getting corrupted.

Hold on, that statement actually backfires to himself. The man's life was in his hands, the hands of a young boy. Up to this point, the guy's life was pretty much ruined. However, execution after this was likely. But let Near be, alright! He isn't ruling an entire country full of people and actually has some brain cells!

After drowing a bit in this thoughts, and surprisingly no comment from Nyau, he finally calmed down. "I've seen those eyes before. They're the same as the suspect."

"Huh? You mean that victim's brother?"

Near nodded, "yes. And I'm afraid Gamal may be behind this."

"Oh, so he has something for eyes?" Nyau's hand moved under his chin, "it's kinda similar to me skinning faces."

Near looked confused, "skinning faces?"

"Heh heh, you don't know?" A creepy smile appeared on the blonde's face, attempting to scare the younger male. "I like to skin the faces of my victims and collect them. You could be one, tooq."

Near just blankly stared back. It really was messed up what he apparently did. But he would've taken it more seriously if he didn't try to scare him like he was some child. Oh wait...

"I didn't have to know that. And you don't scare me. But you know, your hobby explains your attitude. If I had weird fetishes like that, I would be ashamed too and lash out on everybody else." Near boldly told him.

A vein suddenly appeared on his forehead, "now I remember why I hate you."

"Yeah, yeah. Keep that thing with you. It's evidence against Gamal. I'll still look for other clues."

"Carry it yourself. I'm not your donkey."

Near sighed out of annoyance. "Look, we're basically on private grounds and could be charged for it. And the General would probably get most of the blame. What would happen think of her then? You can say whatever you want when we get back. Please, for once, don't act so stubborn. We don't even know when Gamal could come back."

Nyau wanted to say something, but then closed his mouth. He actually had a point, he didn't want to damage Esdeath's image (and end up in her torture chambers.) Still though, he wasn't the only one to blame, right? Near was insulting him, too. But much more politely.

Nevermind that, his words held some truth. He didn't want to become a Thorn on Esdeath's side and face her wrath. And like he said, this could always continue in the palace.

Fine then, he would stop fighting. But that didn't mean he couldn't start a conversation to cure his boredom. He will stop arguing, but he wasn't going to go as far as helping him. That is some next level stuff.

"Even if he comes, I could still sense him."

Near was taken back. Finally, Nyau said something useful! But telling him would start another argument, so he kept silent about it. Instead, he decided to talk normally with him. Hopefully that's actually possible.

"You can sense people?" Near asked while resuming his research.

The blonde put his hands behing his head and started pacing around the room. "Not at a large distance. But I guess that's better than nothing. Now, I sense there are no guards around here. I don't even sense Gamal. But maybe he's out of my reach."

Seriously? That information is essential, and now he's telling about it? He could point it out, but that'll probably start another fight. And for now, he had to be on Nyau's good side. Atleast he knew about it now.

"That could come in handy. I don't think somebody like Gamal could do that, could he?"

"Well," a small grin became apparent on his face. "All of my hard battles and training have brought me up to this point. The guy didn't look like he has ever battled before. Hell, he looks even fatter than Daidara."

He insulted Daidara for the second time. Near couldn't help but be annoyed. Daidara was much kinder than Nyau, in his own weird way.

"He is just well-built," Near defended.

 _'Unlike you,'_ he mentally added. True, his remarks about Daidara were getting to him. But he wasn't really in the mood to blow their cover. He didn't want to throw this whole plan out the window.

Nyau didn't lash out on him. The white-haired boy's response wasn't insulting. It did earn Near a sigh of annoyance, though. But finally, a time where he was reasonable.

"Whatever, I guess so. But is this everything? I hoped to kill some bitches with my Teigu," Nyau stated. Somehow, Near knew he wasn't joking. But they weren't here to cause a ruckuss. The only important thing was evidence.

"By the way, I've heard about Teigu before. Do you have one?" Near asked, curious about his weapon and ignoring his last statement.

A cocky smile came to Nyau's face. "Hehehe, I do. I guess you'd want to know it some day. I can't show you now. But it's super amazing, just like me!"

 _'Well, I guess my hope aren't too high then,'_ Near wanted to say that so badly because of his arrogant attitude. But remembered his words, he didn't want to look like a total hypocrite in front of Nyau nor ruin this plan. He left it as it  
is, a thought. No need to say it to him directly.

"It probably is," he answered, a bit too relucant. For some reason, there was no boasting from Nyau, only silence. He looked over to see him just staring at the wall.

"Hey Nyau? What's wrong?" He couldn't help but be slightly concerned. This was not normal for the blonde. And if somebody came, or even some guards, he was the only one with fighting experience. No way Near could take on some trained guards with his build. Maybe with a weapon, but unfortunately, he only had a small hunting knife on him. A Teigu would be way more handy.

"Nyau?" He shook the blonde's shoulder in an attempt to get some type of reaction. This attitude wasn't normal. If this was a joke, then Nyau literally had the worst timing ever.

"Someone's coming," he whispered, quietly enough for Near not to hear.

"Someone's coming and stop shaking me, damn it!" Alright, he was at fault for continuing. But this wasn't the time for apologies, they had to hide!

"It took you so long to realize that?" He asked with geniune curiosity.

"I wasn't sure where they were headed, okay?!"

Getting his answer, Near grabbed the blonde's arm and ran. He almost fell which made Near receive quite some _colorful_ words. He hid under the desk while pulling Nyau with him to said place.

"What are you doing?!" A scowl was present on his face, Near guessed he lost any form of reasoning.

"Hiding, of course. Don't you see that?" He calmly replied back. Even though Nyau was probably pissed, provoking him further would have dire consequences.

"We had time to escape! But if we do now, they'll see us! Seriously, couldn't you sense them!?"

Is he being stupid, right now? Of course he couldn't sense them! Maybe it just slipped out, but that isn't the main issue here. There were things more important. But he still got a blank look from the white-haired boy.

"Nyau, who are they?" If it were just some guards they could wait them out or continue where they left off. No need to get so worked up. Unless...

"Its aura is the same as Gamal's and another unknown one! They're almost here, too! Near, be silent! Or they'll hear us!"

Really now? He was the one who is loud the whole time. He would probably be afraid if Nyau's stupidity didn't occupy his mind.  
This idiot earned yet another blank look.

But disregarding those thoughts, he reminded himself of the true weight of this situation. The white-haired boy was certain Gamal would be returning to this place. And now that they were both (surprisingly) silent, he finally felt all of the panic building up inside of him.

They were on someone else's property without permission. Even worse, they were both at least acquainted with Esdeath. If this ever got out to the public, it could damage her reputation.

But who knows, they could even be killed. If there were actually guards around here, they would normally remove any possible threats without mercy. Both the blonde and the white-haired boy looked like kids, or atleast teens. If their appearance didn't even look like dangerous in the slightest, death was still possible. I mean, two supposed boys looking around in the middle of the night, might be a warning to some people.

But there was still a possibility they recognize Nyau. By his looks or his uniform, maybe. But still, Near came up with 2 conclusions that could make things worse.

Either, they kill him because they hold a grudge against the General and her army. Or they simply use Nyau as an hostage to get money from Esdeath.

Now, of course with Esdeath's popularity, there were bound to be people who hate you, even in the Empire's own territory.

The second one would be stupid to use against someone with Esdeath's reputation. However, there are still people who are so desperate to get that money. That could lead to some nasty injuries and possible torture. Of course that could happen with the first scenario, too.

Now, Near wasn't completely in the clear. Of course he would be dragged in thanks to Nyau's appearance. Still though, if he wasn't here, then Nyau wouldn't be either.

Hopefully, those things wouldn't happen. Nyau is a member from the Three Beasts, he is bound to have some fighting skills. Things could still end up badly for them. Surprise attacks, maybe? That could even get Esdeath off guard for even a second. And seconde are crucial in a fight. The white-haired boy actually hoped that it did not go down to that, at all. Keeping everything a secret would be for the best.

As the door openend, they both went completely silent. Near was afraid that his rapidly beating heart would give away their position. Adrenaline rushed through him, which, didn't really help calming down. He had the feeling he could dash out of here any minute.

"Well, it was nice doing business with you," an unfamiliar voice said. He had never heard it before, but it kind of suited Gamal's appearance.

However, the guy spoke to somebody else. That meant he wasn't alone. This situation was not reassuring in the slightest for Near.

"Yes, yes, what else-" this voice... Near remembered it all too clearly, it was Ogre! He was right after all! They were working together! But why sid he suddenly stop speaking.

"Something wrong?" Gamal asked.

"This smell...I recognize it too clearly." Ogre muttered as Near shifted uncomfortably from his statement.

Was he getting paranoid? Every move or comment from those two became unnerving.

"And this aura..."

Could he sense people, too? Is he going to find them? What would happen then?

"Damn it! This guy can feel precenses, too! And you can't concert your aura!" The blond beside him whispered/yelled. Now their cover was surely blown.

Heavy footsteps were heard walking towards them.

At this point it felt like his heart was going to burst through his chest.

But is this seriously the end? And everything was all once again...his fault.

Them being found out, his fault.

"Pfff, come on."

Even being here, his fault.

"You're supposed to be the one who uses his head here."

Now, he had ruined the one chance for a better life.

"Look, I don't know what's going through your head."

And possibly even cause her trouble.

"But you do realize I can't let you die right now."

He was completely useless...

"Hell, I'm not going through Lady Esdeath's torture alone."

' _Why were you even born?!'_ A long, distant voice rang through his head, causing his fists to tightly clench together.

"So, snap out of it. And..."

"SMACK!"

"Be like the smartass I want to kill!"

"Eh?"

His hand moved to his red cheek. He hadn't been slapped in a long time. But it still brought things back he wanted to forget. All the pain,  
not having a place to call home and not having someone to support him. A person who actually wanted the best for him. He never had that, did he? Day in, day out he would be reminded how pointless his existence was.

But, was it still the same?

The footsteps stopped just before the desk. Near could finally see the heavy-clad armor on the person' large legs. There was no doubt, the voice, the uniform, this was Ogre.

"It just reminded me," the large man started. "Of the biggest nuisance I have ever encountered!" His large hand went to grab the white-haired boy incredibly fast.

Before the hand reached Near, the blonde moved before him. His hand wrapped around his throat and pulled him out, causing him to drop his Teigu. Ogre's other hand pushed him onto the ground. His first action caused the air to knock out of him. But now, Nyau gasped for air as he was basically getting choked.

He really just moved to protect the weak boy. Why didn't he just use his Teigu? It takes time for Scream's power to have full effect. Nyau was afraid too he'll get blamed for not protecting him. Let's be honest, Esdeath would not be happy if something she had taken an interest in, was gone quickly. Besides, Near had to come up with something for this situation. I mean, he always comes up with something to embarrass him! Now he just had to, right now. Otherwise, he'll make sure to haunt his ass off if he actually died.

However, there was something strange with Near. The sad look on his face was probably not for the tricky situation they were just in. Guess it's time to clear some things up if he wanted him to do something.

"H-hey N-Near," Ogre's grip became weaker when he saw who he was choking. His gaze turned to look at the white-haired boy, whose face was a mix of fear and shock. But the fear wasn't directed at him. No, the little runt didn't even bother to look at him. It was time to get some revenge.

"Ah, I knew it was you!" Ogre started, "and I guess this is your little friend. One more of Esdeath's dogs. I'll have to be careful around you. I don't want to piss off that lady! That said, I'm sure she won't find out if her little servant is missing. The Revolutionary army would pay a huge bounty to see his head on a stick!"

"I-I need to s-say something!" Nyau blurted out.

"First, I'll kill this bitch."

"Who the fuck you calling bitch, a-assh-" Nyau couldn't finish as Ogre put more strength into his grip.

"First, this bitch dies. Then, I'll go kill everybody you care about. Or don't you have any parents? I wouldn't be surprised. Who wants a freaky kid like you, anyway?"

His words hit him like a truck. His mind told him not to listen to him, that Ogre was just using this opportunity to get back at him. But his words held some truth. He knew that by experiencing it himself.

"H-hey! S-snap o-out of i-it! D-d-don't listen to h-his w-words!" Nyau managed to say.

Ogre looked at him, "and why are you still talking? Do you want your neck to be broken or something?"

Surprisingly, Nyau was almost shitting himself.

 _'Why the hell is this happening to me!'_ Nyau cried out in his mind. ' _What did I do to deserve this?! Oh wait...FUCK!'_

"C-come on, do y-you w-want t-the b-both of u-us t-to d-d... Agh!" Ogre finally had enough. He was going to finish this little bitch.

"D-DO S-SOMETHING!" He managed to choke out before Ogre was dead-set on killing him.

Nyau's screaming finally snapped him out if his trance.

Peeking from under the desk he noted that the only way to escape was the window. It would be hard to out-run Ogre, even if he made  
it through the window. Escape was high unlikely at this point.

Gamal was standing at the door, looking a bit confused and blocking their best exit.

And the fact that Ogre was grinning at him when he looked, really, _really,_ made him feel afraid. He already knew they were screwed if they were caught. But know he knew he was dead. That was the final outcome, though. First, Ogre will have his sweet time with him.

As he realized his fate, Near couldn't stand the _giant_ feeling of guilt swelling inside his chest. Even though he only knew Nyau for a day, even though they only fought, even though he didn't have faith in him at first, he would most likely never admit it, but Near knew he now did.

He knew the stakes before they came here. He could have forced him to turn back and told Esdeath about it, but he _didn't._ The fact that he let someone down who believed in him, _kills_ him.

He's waiting for Near to help him. He had hope in him, even though their escape seemed impossible. And know, he _had_ to get them out of here, no matter what. But _how_ was the problem.

"Please..." Nyau's voice was horse. It seemed like his life was choked out of him.

His finally cry for help woke something in him. An emotion he had never felt so strong before: _determination._

Suddenly he felt something call out to him. As he looked in the direction of what he felt, his eyes immediately landed on the flute Nyau dropped.

Not even being aware of what he was doing, his hands reached to grap the instrument. And _somehow,_ for some unknown reason, he was playing it.

The sound that came out from it was bad, terrible or horrible. It was _beautiful._ When the instrument reached his lips, he started playing like a professional, despite having zero experience of playing a flute.

It was a beautiful and elegant instrument. But he never had actual any interest in playing it. And here he was, playing it like he practised it his entire life.

"What is this sound?" Ogre asked, standing up and releasing Nyau from his grip. He was now towering over the desk, but wobbling a bit in his steps.

The moment Nyau was released, he was violently coughing. He realized Near was playing Scream. Somehow he started playing a _freaking_ Teigu. And somehow, he started playing a _freaking_ Teigu that had already bonded with him. _Somebody else._ And he was _using_ it, right at this moment.

Did that even _happen?!_ Was this even _possible?!_

Well, it apparently is since he's literally witnessing it. But leave him be. It's already hard to believe Near is using a Teigu, let alone _his_ Teigu. According to Nyau, this shit isnt't supposed to happen.

He began to feel drowsy like Ogre. Mustering all of his strength he called out to Near.

"R-run u-until it h-has taken f-full e-effect!" He managed to squeak out.

Near acted immediately when he heard Nyau's order. Using his legs to climb out of the window because Gamal was still blocking the actual exit. And he wasn't going to risk getting caught.

His landing wasn't really smooth. For some reason, his hands wouldn't let go of the flute to support himself, either. The landing would have been a bit painful. However, he felt something stab through his leg and a warm and sticky liquid stain his pants.

He didn't have to look to even know what it was. He didn't want to move so he wouldn't feel the painful sting.

He just laid there, the only things moving were his hands and lips. Which were still playing the flute.

But, Nyau's words rang through his mind. He mustered up all of the strength inside of him and tried to stand. He used one hand to support himself and the other still played the flute. Once standing he slowly moved forward, not even attempting to pull out the knife embedded into his leg. He had a chance to bleed out and that was the least he wanted in this place.

Near could almost jump when he heard something connect with a hard surface. As he relucantly looked back, he saw Ogre's head facing down on the windowsill.

He was most likely asleep. Scream had taken its effect pretty quickly. How did he know this about the Teigu? No idea! But that wasn't the biggest issue at the moment. Luckily, there were no guards in sight. Scream's tune probably reached them, too. This was it, they had a chance to escape!

Securing the Teigu inside his pocket, Near made his way inside as quickly as his wounded leg would let him. Once inside he noticed Nyau's arms around Ogre's foot, while the giant's head was still resting on the windowsill.

Near couldn't help but smile. Nyau still tried to help him until the end. Maybe Ogre would've gotten to Near if the blonde didn't try to pull him back. So now, he was even more determinded to get them both out of this hellhole.

He lifted the unconscious Nyau's arm onto his neck and started dragging him along. Near wasn't the strongest, so the knife stuck in his leg didn't make this easier.

Every time he took a step with his injured leg, he felt the knife's presence in his leg, which made him cringe.

After a long while, the castle was finally in sight. At this point the tiredness was taking over Near. His muscles were sore and he needed sleep. He felt his consciousness slowly slipping away. However, he wasn't going to give up this easily.

He had to succeed! He had to make it back! He owed that much to Nyau. If he wasn't there, Near wasn't sure if he would've made it out of that place.

Black spots appeared in his vision. But Near gritted his teeth and continued forward, determined to bring them both back to safety.

When the the cold, night air suddenly started becoming colder, Near couldn't help but smile. It wasn't the first time he encountered the sudden drop of the temperature, so he immediately knew the person responsible for it.

He finally gave in to the sweet feeling of sleep, his head was now swaying from one side to the other. Near wasn't really aware of his surroundings now. But when two arms wrapped around him to stop him from collapsing, Near knew, he was finally safe.

The cold _never_ felt so welcoming.

* * *

 **A/N: It's been a FREAKING long time since I last updated. This was due to me losing motivation and procrascinating my ass off. And since I already uploaded it, I thought it might be a waste if I didn't finish it. I mean I've already uploaded it and people have read it. I know it's not really fun when a story you like doesn't get finished. I can't promise the quickest updates because I have exams this year, so my studies should be my top priority (even more than anime *cries*). And I'd probably get murdered if I don't graduate. However, I'll do my damnest to finish the story. I actually had more AGK crossovers (including some more DN ones) but I think it should wait until I finish this story (or when I have more time). I don't want to keep more people waiting because I have more fics to update.**

 **And feel free to point out any mistake I made.**

 **Anyway, feedback is always appreciated (gives me more motivaion). And trust me, you won't have to wait another year (or it was like 9 months or something) for an update (btw sorry fot that!)**

 **Bye, guys and gals!**


	7. Fear

Near was tired, really tired. He opened his heavy eyes. Wondering why he felt like this, he recalled last night's events. He knew there were going to be some heavy consequences.

Perhaps that's why he didn't want to wake up. Or maybe he moved too much, his physical durability is not his best trait.

He sat up and looked at his surroundings. It was a room, his room. He was lucky to be here. But maybe it will all be taken from him. With the stunt he pulled last night, the General would not be happy. And she was the sole reason he was here. She wasn't one to accept disobedience from her subordinates. He was probably screwed, either way. However, punishment would be way better than having to leave.

But Near prepared for the worst, anyway. Raising his hopes only for them to be crushed would be bad.

However there was still a chance he could stay. Knowing the white-haired boy, he considered every possibility. Maybe he could convince her to listen to him. He solved the case, after all. And the Three Beast and Esdeath herself seemed to have taken a liking to him.

But there was still something that made him worry. Even if Near previously lived far away from the Capital, he still heard of Esdeath's actions. Her achiements were very impressive, her powers, too. However, one thing made him slightly terrified of failing her. He didn't know the exact details, but her torture sessions were apparently extremely gruesome and inappropiate. And he really, REALLY didn't want to be the next victim of it.

She acted normal around him. Maybe getting angry at him or the Three Beasts and one time she squeezed Near' shoulder. But that was just about it. She hadn't shown her true nature, yet. The poor souls in her torture chambers had seen it and were VERY lucky if they even lived to tell the tale.

And the white-haired boy wasn't really somebody to underestimate another, especially a person with a reputation like Esdeath's. But what where the chances he was actually going to get tortured? He didn't have that much info about Esdeath, so deciding her actions was pretty difficult.

But hey, atleast they came back alive, right?

Near's eyes widened. That thought reminded him of Nyau! How was he?! Would he get punished because one of her Three Beasts was injured because of him?!

You know what, just thinking made him anxious, he should probably stop...

Through the entire ordeal, the white-haired boy didn't notice the General, who he was so worried about, watching him.

She was certainly...amused. Near's expression seemed to change from worry to his normal, neutral one in a split second.

A grin found its way onto her lips. If anything, this meant he was afraid. And who else would he be afraid of?

This was probably one of the few times she will see him in this state. She couldn't let this chance slip away. So a bit of playing couldn't hurt.

"Near," she spoke out loud. Her voice strong and clear.

He, in response, looked up with widened eyes.

It was like he had a tiny heart attack when he saw her standing at the doorway.

How didn't he even notice her? Being this worried even reduced his awareness. Normally, he wouldn't even miss a thing. These feelings were really hard to deal with. He wished this fear would just go away. Guess he just can't forget everything. It'll come back later to get haunt him.

Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for what's about to come.

"General."

He was really surprised that he still had the composure not to stutter.

Her face suddenly got serious, "what happened the other day?"

Near hesitated to respond. He needed to voice his words very carefully. He didn't want her to get even angrier. This wasn't the time to test her. The only thing he could tell at the moment was the truth.

The white-haired boy looked down to his hands, "I went to Gamal, the oil merchant's mansion to look deeper into the case."

He looked back at the General to see her staring back with her piercing eyes. That stare...it almost made him flinch. However, this wasn't the time to show any weakness. If this was a test, he sure as hell had to pass it. So he mustered up all of his courage and stared back at her with his neutral gaze.

"And I solved this mistery."

Esdeath looked genuinely curious and a small smile crossed her lips.

"Enlighten me."

"First of all, I found it strange how the vicitim's brother was blamed without any real evidence. So I started asking him some questions. I found out the victim and the brother were both working for an oil merchant. It may not be real evidence, but I could tell the man was being honest. I couldn't tell the culprit with the info I had back then. And I was scared that you would be disappointed. The only thing that came to my mind was to go investigate Gamal's mansion.

However, while I was examining the victim's body, I knew she was a victim of rape. From what I could tell, this person was quite inexperienced. I assumed it may have been someone rich. Rich people usually have everything they need other than a partner in life.

But one of the strangest things was that I found a bullet in the victim's chest. Who would use a gun? Wouldn't it make too much sound? It would be fine in a secluded place like a mansion. It only supported my idea to go to the mansion to investigate for myself.

Nyau came along, but that was unplanned.

While we were in the mansion, I found a literal pair of eyes in a box that were identical to that of the suspect's. They were brother and sister, so it wouldn't be strange. However, this made me really suspicious of Gamal. Not to mention his frog-like appearance wouldn't charm most people.

Anyway, while we were investigating, Captain Ogre from the Imperial Police and Gamal came to the office where we were looking. Their conversation proved they worked together. Not to mention, only this recent case was the one who had a suspect. They didn't have any evidence to support that claim, though. While I was looking at the body it is important to note that the bullet in the victim was not stated in the report. Which leads me to believe the Imperial Police is incompetent or they just didn't bother.

And that's why I believe Gamal is the culprit and Ogre covered for him with his influence in the Imperial Police."

Esdeath was quite impressed. Not only was this his first real mission, he also solved it and saw through the smaller details. Who knows what he could be capable of when he grows older?

A smirk passed her lips with that thought.

Near didn't miss that. "General, were you playing with me?"

"Maybe," she said while walking towards him, a small, playful smile on her face. "You really don't miss a thing, do you? But I now know I was right about you, after all."

Despite her words, his eyes still held a small tinge of fear as they followed her figure until she sat on the bed. His fear made her frown without her being even aware of it.

"I want you to write a report. But there is still a question that I want an answer to now, why were the both of you injured?"

Near scratched the back of his head, "oh, that? Gamal and Ogre discovered us. And well, Ogre wasn't too happy to see us."

"I see," Esdeath muttered. "I'm curious, now. How did you escape, anyway?"

Near's eyes widened as he couldn't believe what he was going to say. "I played Nyau's flute and they all fell asleep..."

The white-haired boy looked up to the female. "General, is that flute-" he stopped when he saw her bewildered expression.

The blue-haired woman couldn't think of the last time she was caught off guard this much. This boy, this 13 year old boy actually used a Teigu? How is that even possible?

She just met him the other day, but he kept surprising her.

"General?"

She looked at him, his curious gaze stared back at her.

"Judging from your expression, it really was a Teigu, huh?" He put his hand under his chin, "not sure what I should make of that."

After a deep sigh, Esdeath finally regained her composure. "You keep impressing me, don't you?"

"Well," she adjusted her cap and stood up. "I have a lot to think about. So I'm leaving you to rest."

She opened the door to leave, but a voice stopped her.

"General, you were the one who saved us, right?" He continued when he saw her nod from behind, "how did you know we were even there?"

"That was quite easy," she started without looking back. "The both of you were lucky I was returning from some things I had to take care of. I sensed your auras, too. Which made finding you only easier."

A hand rose to his chin, signaling he was deep in thought. "So you can sense people, too? Interesting..."

"I can tell you more about, since I know you're a curious one. But those questions should be answered later. Now it's important to rest. We'll talk more later."

"You're right," he mumbled as a small smile came upon his face. He was happy he could stay. Maybe he shouldn't have been so worried. After all, why would she even bother to save him if she was going to get rid of him? He scolded himself to let his emotions cloud his judgement.

But still, he didn't know Esdeath very well and seeing this side of her, was reassuring. Maybe a day had passed since they have know each other. But day by day, he was knowing more of her. From the stories he heard she was cruel, very cruel. However, she can be forgiving to the people she deems worthy. And apparently, the white-haired was one of them.

Near wanted to go to sleep before his mind went back to his companion. His eyes widened as Esdeath was about to close the door.

"One second, General! How's Nyau?!"

Esdeath paused as a small smile graced her lips because of his concern. "He still hasn't woken up yet. But don't worry, he's fine." With that, she closed the door.

A sigh left the mouth of the white-haired boy. Finally his nerves had calmed down. At the moment he doesn't have to worry about Nyau or Esdeath's wrath.

With a clear mind, he drifted back to dreamland...

* * *

Back with Esdeath, she certainly did not...expect this outcome. Near using a Teigu? Was this good or bad for her? Either way, the boy certainly proved to be interesting.

As far as she knew, his intentions were still unclear. You couldn't say he was just some commoner lucky enough to get her attention.

Esdeath knew better. His intelligence and observational skills were out of this world. And she didn't hate his company, neither would the Three Beasts. In fact, with him things got much more livelier. Maybe half the time it was bickering, but you could have interesting conversation with him, too.

And she just knew him for a day... No doubt things would get much more hectic from here on out.

A smirk came to her face as she decided not to tell Honest about a thing that had happened.

After all, he was her subordinate. And she wouldn't want Honest to stick his fat nose into her business. Not to mention he'd probably do something unfortunate if he heard about this.

Her smirk soon turned into a grin as her more dominating side took over. She wondered how it would be like if Near would just follow her without any questions. He would probably be able to track down any enemy she so desired. In what way, she did not know. However, his tricky mind would be able to come with a solution somehow.

Her live had gotten so much more interesting and livelier with Near... She was quite fond of that fact.

* * *

Inside Near's room, the white-haired boy twisted and turned his body quite violently because of his dream. It's definitely more like a nightmare, actually.

He soon forcefully woke himself up. Once again, sweat rolled down his forehead and his body shook. He couldn't control it, and he hated that.

His hand subconsciously moved to scratch a bruise on his collarbone. His dream had contained much...hitting.

He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Why did he have to have these nightmares every time he awoke? It annoyed him immensely that he always had to experience this.

You'd think he would get used to it. But no, every nightmare still shook his very being.

He sighed as he was calmer now. The nap had really helped. The white-haired boy had no idea for how long he was out. The sun still shine outsode, though. Which meant it was around noon.

Near tried tp go backt to sleep, but to no avail. The young boy kept turning around. He was restless, definitely because of his nightmare.

There was one big issue, though. What was he supposed to do now? Obviously, he had no duties for the day because of the previous night. However, since he couldn't even sleep that meant he had nothing to do!

Did anyone actually suspect being a subordinate of General Esdeath could actually become boring? Yeah, neither did I.

As if on cue, a giant man came bursting through the door and into the room.

None other than Daidara grinned at the younger at the younger male.

"Glad to see you're fine!"

Well, in the least he has somebody. Daidara could definitely cure his boredom.

"Wanna go and annoy Nyau?"

And now, Near was happy.

 **VERY IMPORTANT A/N: Well, it's been a while. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I seriously say this every freaking chapter, but sorry for the long wait! Once again... But I decided to get my act together. Since school is gonna murder me, I think the best way to write is simply to write an amount of words every day. How much, I don't know yet. But it depends on my schedule, too. I'd really like to at least release a chapter once a month. However, that depends on how long the chapter will be too. Which leads me to a VERY IMPORTANT question. Would you guys rather have short chapters which I can publish faster or long chapters which will take more time? I think it's best to listen to the readers for this one. You can PM or post a review with your answer.**

 **And if you think I'm taking a bit too long or slacking off, you're always free to tell me. PM or review, doesn't matter. I don't mind such things because it gives me motivation to write. One of my readers asked me about it and it is completely fine. It also tells me there are people waiting for my dumb*ss to publish a chapter. It's really nice to see people like this story despite my horrible uploading schedule (which is nonexistent.**

 **And the last important is that I'm working on a VERY late Christmas special. Yeah, I know I'm dumb. I'm late with that but it shouldn't take too long. It isn't the longest chapter.**

 **Well, those were all the important. Now I'm gonna continue rambling on about random stuff XD. Call me a dumb*ss but I think Minecraft is actually pretty fun. The mulitplayer games are the greatest. I'm not a big fan of survival, though. And I LOVE Kid Icarus Uprising! Especially some of the characters. Kinda tempted to make a story of that, haha.**

 **Anyway, I don't want to bother you guys with my rambling for too much (since there may be people who don't know the games and may think what the hell I'm talking about.) As always reviews and feedback are always appreciated. And tell me what you'd like to see in the story. Maybe I'll do something with it. One reviewer gave me a pretty good idea. Anyways,**

 **Later!**


End file.
